Chile Suffers, Buisnesses Band Together to Pick Up Pieces

(EMAILWIRE.COM, March 29, 2010 ) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cruceros Australis
Media Contact: Jorge Rodriguez
Phone: 877.687.3772
Email: australis@bellsouth.net
Web: www.australis.com
Click HERE for Media Kit

Punta Arenas, Chile Â– As Chilean cruise company, Cruceros Australis, approaches the end of a successful season, they are in part satisfied with the high level of tourism the past year, but are also glum about the recent devastation in their home country. Even though Cruceros Australis is not located in the part of Chile that suffered wreckage, the company stands behind the local people to help rebuild the destruction.

Being more than 1,200 miles south of its epicenter, the people of Punta Arenas only knew about the earthquake from the news the next morning. A few hours after the earthquake, passengers disembarked in Punta Arenas only to hear the news there. Later that evening, the Mare Australis departed again for Ushuaia with a few less passengers than expected due to reduced or canceled flights arriving Punta Arenas as a result of the earthquake damage in some parts of the country.

After assuring the staff and passengers were safe, vessels navigated as usual. The Mare Australis was approaching Magdalena Island, where they visit a colony of 120,000 Magellan penguins when the earthquake struck Concepcion. Disembarkments were executed normally.

At the time of the earthquake, the Via Australis had already docked in Ushuaia with passengers sleeping on board in their cabins. Again, these passengers only learned from the earthquake upon disembarking in Ushuaia from the news. Those passengers were even more fortunate than the ones in Punta Arenas because in Argentina, there werenÂ’t any changed or cancelled flights. Most passengers went on from Ushuaia to either El Calafate or Buenos Aires and on with their itineraries without any disruption.

Many worried that the new vessel in construction about 200 miles from Concepcion would be damaged. Cruceros Australis is fortunate to announce that, although they did feel the earth trembling at the shipyard, our vessel in construction, the Stella Australis was never in danger or affected. Thus, operations were never affected due to this terrible earthquake.

Nevertheless, the Cruceros Australis staff remains in solidarity alongside the people in Chile with the understanding that, although the daily operations, overall business, employees and families were practically unaffected, some parts of the country suffered great damage. Cruceros Australis is committed to rebuilding what was lost. They ask the world to remain excited about Chile as a destination and they welcome travelers with open arms.

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Cruceros Australis
Jessi Stafford
970.690.3488
jessi@atmstravelnews.com